Banker killed in minicab row

Victim: Tobias Buss

A banker died after he was dragged under the wheels of a minicab in a row over £3 change from the fare.

Tobias Buss suffered severe injuries when the minicab, a Renault Espace, ran over his head.

He had just arrived at his Knightsbridge home after celebrating his 29th birthday with friends when he got involved in a row with the driver.

He was leaning into the car as it began to pull away. Mr Buss was walking alongside the car, still holding on to it, when it suddenly accelerated, dragging him to the ground and under the back wheels.

A witness said: "The guy was thrown straight on to the floor and the wheels went over his head. I saw something no person should ever have to see.

"The man didn't even stop to look. He just drove off as fast as he could. I couldn't believe it."

The victim's distraught friends rushed to his aid in Beauchamp Place. Mr Buss, who worked for City bank JP Morgan, never regained consciousness following the incident at about 3.30am on Saturday.

His family were at his bedside at Charing Cross Hospital and gave permission for doctors to turn off the life-support system.

Police arrested a 36-year-old man in Catford last night.

Scotland Yard said the man was being held in connection with causing death by dangerous driving and failing to stop after an accident. A vehicle was seized.

The man was taken to Catford police station for questioning.

Mr Buss and his friends had been celebrating at the Tantra Bar in the West End and got into a minicab at the back of the building.

It is not known whether the driver was licensed.

A witness, who asked not to be named, said of Mr Buss: "He had just arrived in Beauchamp Place and he was with about six friends. They all seemed quite happy and they had probably been drinking a bit.

"But then there was some sort of argument about the change with the driver - someone said it was about £3 - the driver was refusing to hand it back and the man (Mr Buss) was quite cross and was leaning into the car talking to the driver.

"Then the driver started to move off and the man had to run alongside him, because he was still leaning on the car. I am traumatised by what I saw.

"I don't want to ever remember it and I think I will have to have counselling. But I had to speak because I want that man caught. What he did should not have happened. A life is worth more than a few pounds."

Jane Privett, a close family friend, had known Mr Buss since he arrived in England from Germany in 1999.

She said: "He was a lovely guy, handsome, funny, kind and wonderfully generous.

"His family is absolutely devastated and flew in from Munich as soon as they heard.

"He was on life-support and they had to go through the terrible pain of allowing doctors to switch off the machine.

"Many of his friends had flown in from Munich to celebrate his birthday. Friends were so important-to Toby and he had even paid for some of them to come because they were short of money. He was fantastically clever and came top of his class at university and he was a very keen skier.

"He was doing really well at JP Morgan, where he worked in equities derivatives.

" His father, who is an entrepreneur, and his mother, are inconsolable.

"His only brother is also devastated but is holding it together for the sake of the family.

"Toby was a wonderful man. He just gave out so much love, and he got so much love back in return. We will all miss him so much."

Anyone with any information or who saw the incident is urged to call police at the incident room on 020 7321 9944.

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